


Awaken

by lovebarmaid



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angel Rey, F/M, Guardian Angel AU, I don't know what else to tell you, Reylo - Freeform, basically doing a very bad job on Rey's part, businessman Ben, coming undone, ignoring duties, reylo au, sinning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25552804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovebarmaid/pseuds/lovebarmaid
Summary: Guardian Angel AU where Rey is the clumsy spirit assigned to look after & maybe try to change Mr. Solo - a very weird, lonely and busy man, who in general isn’t very nice to people. What they both don’t know though is that Ben soon will have a serious accident..."𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳, 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩, 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳.𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯."
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Awaken

☁️⭐️☁️

They say that angels are some superior, celestial beings. They live up high, in heaven, among other saints and god himself. People come up with all these amusing ways they’re created. She heard many stories.

Some say an angel is born from a falling star.

_Yeah_ , she’d like to see that happen.

Stars are hot balls of gas and space dust, they live and they die, just like everything in human’s world. How on earth could that make a baby?

Others think each angel is individually molded by father himself. He takes a lost wing of a bird, clay from the earth’s deepest cave and a human’s broken rib. Very similar to how christians believe first woman, Eve, was made. A bone from man’s chest, so that she would stand at his side, not above nor below him. They’re meant to be equals — a concept often forgot and abused by Adam’s descendants.

She also heard a story about how there is not one angel in heaven who first did not live in a material body. All angels derive from human race. If a child dies, it becomes a cherub instantly. But when adults die, they’re judged by their sins and merits, only then father decides their fate.

There’s also a rather popular belief that angels have no bodies. They’re spirits, present on earth as well as in heaven. Assigned with the responsibility to guard god and look after all people.

Angels are pure, they cannot sin. They’re missing needs for bodily or material desires. Some are even convinced they don’t speak - they know all of the languages, but communicate in otherworldly ways.

Some think they bring good news. Some are afraid of them, thinking their life is about to end the moment they see them.

They’re present among many cultures, religions and beliefs. She could name a few, but what’s the point? People fight over whos god is the mightiest, not realizing they’re often the same being. One that cannot be painted in one picture, described by one book or cherished with just one prayer. Same goes with angels.

Rey knows nearly nothing of what people say about them is true. She never had any sisters nor brothers, at least none that she knows of. She didn’t spend her days living among the clouds, busy basking in the early sunshine. She also doesn’t look anything like the little figurines that adorn human’s trees or chapels. She wasn’t meant to be worshipped, the countless paintings and sculptures a shameful gift from the mankind.

People often want explanation for things that don’t need explaining. This is their greatest flaw. They dig and they push and then disembody a matter out of its meaning, stripping it completely off its greatness and divinity. Oh, and how they hate when someone dares to oppose them. A man will endure hunger and thirst, but he can’t stand when others differ from him.

Rey knows all of that, too.

She also knows she’s angel.

And if necessary, she can prove that in many ways.

☁️⭐️☁️

She first learns about him in a dream. It’s a stormy and restless night, one that foreshadows a change. From the moment she closed her eyes, she knew who he was, and by the time dawn was breaking, she knew everything about him.

Was he in dire need of her help? No, but that rarely ever matters now. Throughout the years humans learned to care for each other in a way no angel could ever do. They built hospitals, learned how to heal, keep safe and protect the weakest of their kind. In effect, angel’s job to save lives, often referred to as miracles, was nearly done.

Rey would lie if she said she missed those times. Sure, it always felt nice to be able to rescue someone from a seemingly hopeless situation. Lonely fisherman in the middle of an angry sea, a child with unfastened seatbelts, a man on a steep slope of the hill. Angels are meant to be strong and fast, because in some situations it is a matter of seconds. But with each century, people are getting smarter with ways of survival and more fearful of death, so the assistance of spiritual beings is needed less and less.

Besides, they say an angel grows a new feather each time it saves a human’s life, but loses one if it fails. Rey stopped counting hers years ago.

She’s afraid of what she could find out.

☁️⭐️☁️

No matter if and what god you choose to believe in, greed is a sin. It’s such common knowledge children and animals know that. Predators hunt their prays one at a time - take only what they need to survive. Forest creatures store food for colder months, but none of it ever goes to waste. A child, if it’s young mind has yet to be polluted by man’s ideas and ways of life, will never want to posses more goods than it already has.

Without the ability to understand human feelings or desires, Rey always found herself having a hard time trying to grasp the concept of it. How can one care so much about wanting more, when he already has what he needs? What’s the use for all of that excess? What’s the point of having something just for the sake of owning it?

Greed wasn’t only a sin. It was a parasite. One that built a nest in one’s head and refused to ever leave it. It consumed the mind first, then the whole body and began to spread among others.

Rey’s too young to remember the times when there wasn’t any. She may never admit it out loud, but deep down, she doubts there ever was such time.

She finds him very quickly. After all, he is working in the tallest building in the city. She knows that. She saw it in her dream.

When guarding angel is assigned with a task of protecting an individual, there is nothing one could hide from them. All of your thoughts, dreams and wants are revealed. You have no choice but to bare your heart and soul before them.

However, an angel doesn't necessarily understand all of those things. Just like with greed, not every human emotion is known to them. They are aware what love or hate means to people, but they can’t feel it. At least not in the same way.

They do express happiness and sadness, though. An angel can feel joy when he fulfills his task or sorrow, if he fails.

An angel has no free will. It does what it's supposed to do, not what it wants to. Rey has quickly learned it can be painful. Hurt is not something she anticipated to ever feel, but it happened, numerous times.

She watches him closely and tries to learn more about him. What are his habits? What he’s like around people? How does he treat them? And finally, why and what was she assigned to guard him from?

☁️⭐️☁️

Mister Solo is a weird man. Every morning he gets up very early and sits down at his desk. Humans usually spend them with their loved ones, busy making breakfast, taking a quick shower, or simply - getting ready for the day. It seems to her that Ben wakes up already prepared for whatever’s to come.

Instead of a wife, he has a machine making his coffee. He asks his phone what time is it and whether it is going to rain today. He doesn't watch the news. He has people do that for him. When he arrives at his office, there's already a selection of newspapers waiting for him. He never reads them.

On weekends, he goes for a run. He jogs around the city for an hour before running straight to the tall building. Rey was surprised the first time she found out that for him, that was just another way of getting to work. He usually took a car there, the one that he never drove himself. Because Ben had four other cars. And not once has she seen him enter any of them.

He doesn't go shopping very often, as the new clothes and cooked food arrives at his door on its own. From the way people look at him, judge him behind his back or speak about him, she guesses he has a lot money. But he spends it very sparely, Rey thinks.

_Oh, right._ _Except for the cars._

Rey can't feel cold, as her body temperature adjusts on its own, but she knows his apartment is just that. Cold, empty, unwelcoming and dark.

From the day she arrives, she waits patiently for a moment of weakness. Men are usually vulnerable at night. At their weakest times they strip down from their armor and weep. That doesn't happen. Not once. With Ben, everything is a little different from what she expects.

She begins to doubt she ever knew men.

Even though she knows what his motivations are, finding the reasoning behind some of his actions is really hard. She knows he misses his mother, yet he never visits her. He wants to make up with his father, but Ben never picks up a phone when he calls. He feels lonely and misunderstood but refuses to speak out when someone wants to listen. He wishes he was different but does nothing to change.

At first, Rey feels helpless. There’s not much she can do. Talking with humans isn’t something she’s used to, nor is she good at it. Besides, it’s way too early to make direct contact. Guarding angel is supposed to reveal himself only when necessary and so far, there was no danger. She needs to remain silent and continue looking after him. Even if it makes her sad.

_You're here to protect and watch out, not to dwell or make it about you_ , she reminds herself.

Solitude is hard. But knowing you’re not alone in it somehow makes it better.

☁️⭐️☁️

Days pass and his constant presence at the back of her consciousness starts to feel familiar.

The moment an angel is assigned to a man, their minds are bridged, connected by invisible link. Humans can’t feel the difference, as their souls are still attached to their body. That means - a man can feel what his body feels, and if he can’t see something, he doesn’t know it exists.

Even if Ben Solo was to believe in spiritual beings, he’d have to know exactly what she looks like in order to be able to see her. This is why angels and god himself are not to be pictured or presented in any way. There’s always a slightest chance people might guess correctly.

When the connection between human and angel is made, their thoughts slowly begin to merge as if they were one being. Rey often finds herself wondering where did the reports go, or thinking about the next transfer of funds to the company’s account. Angels’ minds are very sensitive to such change. It can very easily affect their personality and behavior.

This is why it’s so important they know when to let go. An angel was made to endure a lot, but there’s a limit to everything. The souls need to remain separate - think of them as patrons, not soulmates. They share thoughts, but the purpose of that is for an angel to correct the wrong ones and encourage the good. Under no circumstances can angel begin to justify sins of the man it’s watching over. That, and becoming attached to a human being, are one of the most common ways an angel can be doomed, forever.

It doesn’t happen too often. Still, Rey could tell a few stories.

Ben spends most of his life working. Even in his sleep (she once or twice peeked into his dreams) he’s planning some projects or coming up with different ways he could expand his business. Rey understands it’s important to him. To be successful, respectable and admired. Mister Solo is secretly very pleased when he makes other people feel bad about themselves.

Rey wonders if this is why she was assigned to guard him. Maybe people envy him so much they want to hurt him? And sooner or later he’ll change, or do something very good to the humankind? Is that what it’s about? Is Rey supposed to protect a man whose redemption is awaiting in the near future?

Her head begins to hurt and that almost never happens.

She starts to think it’s because of him.

☁️⭐️☁️

”Well, tell him I don’t give a fuck there’s no time. Go jump on a plane and fly west, maybe then you’ll find some time to finish your fucking work.”

Rey winces, still unused to the way he often speaks. The voice she knows from his thoughts is completely different from the one he uses on other people.

”What?!” he’s so angry her hands begin to shake. She looks up and notices he’s trembling too. ”Get him on the phone. Now.”

It isn’t unusual for Ben Solo to be so vexed about his work. Before she even met him in person, she knew he had quite… a temper. Once he got this upset his whole physique changed. His handsome face got all red, deep wrinkles appeared on his forehead and he bared his teeth - much like animals do.

Rey still tries to figure out what’s her purpose in his life. So far, he seems okay and capable of taking care of himself. She never realized the man who stood outside his office and apartment were bodyguards - a concept completely new to her. Yes, she heard about police, military and weapons, but she guesses a lot has changed over the last few years. Well, more like decades.

Living out, in the nature, taking care of animals and lost souls was her true calling - that’s where she belonged, where she felt at her best. She could wish she stayed there, but then again - an angel has no desires, no free will and no power to decide its own fate.

She sighs and watches him walk around the room, like a lion inside a cage. Where does all of that anger come from? She tries to search through his mind looking for an answer, but finds none.

The man has issues, that’s obvious. But what mortal doesn’t? It’s nothing unusual, even if people who guard him have loaded guns on them.

Rey thinks about his father. In his dreams, he seems like a good man. Very caring and loving. Are those only the good memories? What was he really like? Is he the reason Ben is so… damaged?

What about his mother? She was a… politician, isn’t that right? Rey can imagine his family wasn’t like any other. Parents left him at home and most of his days he spent alone, waiting for them to come back.

Longing. She feels a hollow ache inside her chest. Rey knows what it's like.

☁️⭐️☁️

Dreams are a window to human’s soul. Even though they’re not real, they are honest - your subconsciousness cannot lie to itself. In dreams, we bare our minds, reveal our deepest thoughts and darkest fantasies. This is why angels use them to help and protect people.

There are some basic rules to follow. One, every angel must take special care when entering a man’s dream. Remaining unnoticed is the highest priority. Distraction, change of course or even shape shifting - everything is allowed as long as it helps maintain that state.

Two, an angel can’t contact human in any way or form. That means, it can’t write a letter, speak, call or leave a note. What it can do, however, is adjust human’s thinking so that an idea originates from his mind and not from angel’s. It’s easier to explain with an example.

So, let’s say that Ben should take better care of his family. His mother is a good person to start with, as she’s present in nearly all of his dreams. Rey enters the one he’s having that night.

It’s a late afternoon in the middle of hot summer. They’re on a beach by the lake. Rey looks around. She’s up high, sitting on one of the tree’s branches. There’s no way he’s going to recognize her as an intruder - she’s just one of the birds. 

Ben is young, but he’s not a child. He sits at the end of the deck and watches white boat in the distance.

Rey knows who’s sailing on it. She doesn’t even need to check to be sure. It’s his father, Han.

The door of the wooden cabin opens and a small woman stands in the threshold. Ben turns around and looks at her. He wants to smile.

“Where’s your father?” she asks him, her face hard to read.

Rey isn’t sure if this is a real memory.

“He’ll be back, soon” his voice is so carefree she almost doesn’t recognize it. Nonetheless, this isn’t good. If they keep talking about Han, it will end in a fight and she needs to make it into a pleasant memory. She flies down and lands on the deck, right beside him. He doesn’t pay too much attention.

Good. That’s good.

Leia approaches them. “You always say that, Ben.“

He shrugs and they stay like that. Rey tries to poke into his mind. Push the idea into him. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to want to listen.

If she doesn’t act fast now it’ll soon be over. Dreams don’t last too long, especially when an angel interrupts them. The whole structure is very fragile and she needs to be careful.

A single dove can’t do too much. She flies away, out of their reach and when she returns, she’s a swan. A big, menacing bird. Rey hates to do it but there’s no other way.

She knocks Leia off the deck, straight into water.

Ben lets out a scream and jumps after his mother. It’s his dream and she’s not far, so of course, he saves her without a problem. When they’re both back on the beach, he hugs Leia and helps her calm down. Few minutes pass before they laugh again. Rey watches them from the distance.

Her job here is done. She can leave his mind now. The idea to comfort his mother in his dream wasn’t originally Ben’s, but thanks to her clever interruption it felt real to him.

The third (and the last) rule is to not dwell for too long. The sooner an angel leaves the dream, the better. When asleep, human’s subconsciousness can sense interruption, but choses to ignore it at first. Once intruder starts to interfere with it’s natural course - changes the patterns and scenarios, the host starts to treat him as enemy. Something that needs to be destroyed. It is very easy then for an angel to slip up and accidentally reveal itself.

This is why Rey has always hated breaking into people’s minds. Once again, she could wish she had stayed out in the wild. That is, if she had the ability to wish.

After he’s had his morning coffee and first business call (he yelled at Hux thirteenth time this week), he dials his mother’s number. Of course, he spends at least ten minutes contemplating with the device in his hand, but Rey can sense he made up his mind even before he woke up.

His mother picks up immediately and judging by his current thoughts, last night was a success.

They quickly agree to meet up for a lunch, tomorrow at noon, at a place he’s never heard of before. That makes him feel uneasy, but he doesn’t let it show. He wishes she’d offer to eat at her place, that is, at home. Where Han may be. Rey sighs and pinches the bridge of her freckled nose. She better start thinking what type of dream he should have next, because she really can’t risk another mistake.

Rey then decides that for now, it’ll be better if Ben was to forget about Han completely. It seems to her that his parents got along way better once they were separated and, as sad as it sounds, it’ll have to remain that way.

Well, at least till she figures something out.

Next day, she decided to give herself some time off. Being constantly surrounded by people was very tiring and she needed some fresh air. Rey went to the park he visited on weekends and spent most of her morning there. She helped out some wilted plants and forgotten trees. All this time, she kept Ben in her head, the low hum of his thoughts a pleasant background noise. 

The meeting must’ve went better than she expected because she can sense his giddiness over from the other side of the city.

She’s busy helping some stray cats and almost drops one of them when she feels him smile. Rey is very near to feeling joy too, but then she realizes it’s not… suitable. An angel isn’t supposed to feel happy with the man it’s guarding. She guesses she could lift a corner of her mouth if he was to confess or pray a little, but the thought of seeing Ben on his knees makes her feel things she can’t really explain. And it certainly has nothing to do with laughing.

At home, she notices the new addition to the room straight away. A bouquet of yellow flowers sits on top of the counter, cutting though the dull shapes and monochrome colors of the interior. They’re dandelions and Rey looks suspiciously in their owner’s direction.

_Are those for a woman?_ she sends the thought his way and gets the response almost immediately.

_No._

_It’s a gift. They’re from his mother._

Rey nods, content with his answer and spends rest of the night in kitchen, admiring the dot of color in the sea of black and white. Apart from him, they’re the only living thing in this house.

☁️⭐️☁️

”Are those the flowers I gave you?”

Rey’s surprised he remembers his mother’s voice so well. It sounds almost identical.

”Yes.”

The woman is short, but Rey supposes she’s still smaller than Leia is. The way she talks, moves and dresses tells her she is still very important. Not only to her son, it seems.

”Two weeks ago?” mother narrows her eyes and Ben clenches his jaw. He often does that when he’s puzzled or when he really wants to find a different way to say whatever he’s thinking about at the moment. Right now, it isn’t the latter.

”I’m not dating a florist, if that’s what you’re asking.”

”Oh, so there is someone?”

Rey doesn’t know why her cheeks begin to feel warm. It must be the air. Spring is coming and all that.

“Noo” Ben groaned, clearly annoyed with his mother’s antics. The woman wiggled her eyebrows and continued.

”Ben, I love you but I’m not that stupid. You’re trying to tell me this is the same bouquet I gave you over half a month ago? You know dandelions only last few days, right?”

His stare travels back and forth between his mother and flowers in the vase. He’s feeling even more clueless than before. ”I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Leia huffs and waves her hand, much like she often does in his dreams. ”Forget it,” she quips and walks out of his apartment. ”If she can take care of flowers, that’s good. Soon she’ll have another useless thing taking up space and oxygen at her place.”

Ben chokes and tries to argue, but Rey tunes him out completely. Did she… did she notice her presence? Was Leia aware she was standing right beside them? She seriously couldn’t tell.

An angel’s kiss is like summer sunshine, it can save any plant from dying. All she really had to do was touch the flower petals with her lips every night before bed, that simple. Of course, Ben never noticed. He didn’t even bother to water them properly.

Rey felt cold shivers run down her spine. If Ben’s mother is aware of her existence, then she’s in trouble. It’s only a matter of time before she tells him and then he’ll be able to see her, too. Worst part is - she has no idea what to do when that happens.

☁️⭐️☁️

Since the dandelion incident, Rey decides to lay low for a while and watch over him from a safe distance. She really is an awful guarding angel, isn’t she?

Rey wonders if others have it that hard, too. Maybe, just maybe, if her human was a little girl or an elderly woman it’d be way easier for her to handle the situation better? She couldn’t possibly blame her clumsiness on his age, gender or looks, but as she watches him in his sleep she can’t help but wonder what is his type. Surely, a man like him must attract the attention of at least dozen ladies on a daily basis. Why was he alone then? It’s not like he’s a… monster. Or something. Rey has known much worse man than him. Well, not known, but she heard the stories.

He has some flaws. Who doesn’t? Sin is a part of human nature. You can always repent and try to do better. He’s not a lost cause, she doesn’t think so. If only there was someone who’d help him accept his mistakes and move on. Gave him love, made him feel wanted. Like he belonged. That would help, of course it would.

He is handsome, too. Rey can feel the tips of her ears turn pink. She rarely ever saw men who were built like that. She’s too young to remember ancient greeks but judging by the statues they’ve made, Ben with his looks could easily fit in and model for them.

This feeling, this behavior and the thoughts that followed, all of that was alien. She wasn’t like this. This wasn’t her. And yet, in no way could she make herself to stop.

Her heart beat faster each time he looked her way. She spent her nights perched on his dresser, observing him with curiosity first, only then to start staring at him in complete awe. She also hasn’t visited his dreams in a long time, because she’d rather watch his face relax when she refused to interrupt them.

Rey was scared, a feeling as new to her as this sick fascination. She feared for him and for her own fate, as her actions weren’t those of a real guarding angel. Was something wrong with her? She’s pretty sure her kind didn’t behave that way, ever.

Maybe she was the broken one, not Ben. Rey felt deeply sorry for him. He deserved a good angel. A proper one, that would look after him and guard from evil. Help him become a better man. Not her.

A filthy sinner.

She’ll soon have to face all of it - the desire burning inside her chest with the force of the sun, the need to keep him to herself and never give back, and finally - the fact she secretly wanted him to _know_ her.

☁️⭐️☁️

That day the air is stiff and she can practically smell a storm coming. She knows people’s dreams aren’t connected to the weather, but now that their minds are bridged she’s no longer so sure of it.

Ben is acting all jumpy and nervous, even more than per usual. Can he sense her fear?

Rey’s lived in the forest for so long she completely forgot how hard being a guarding angel really is. Most of the time she feels just… heavy. And tired. Being in his mind all the time has taken a big toll on her shape. Yes, she is strong… but maybe not enough.

Her thoughts are getting darker with each moment they spend together. She’s avoided braking into his dreams for solid six months. He haven’t seen his mother since April. It’s almost August.

She failed and she keeps failing and there’s not much she can do about it. She cares about him, she knows that. Keeping him safe is so important to her she began to doubt her past methods.

Maybe, just maybe, if she appears in his dream in her normal form, he’ll think she’s just part of his imagination and forget about it once he wakes up? She’s been trying to come up with different ways she could reveal herself to him but still remain unknown when he’s awake. Given her rather poor experience, there’s not much to dwell on, and it’s not like she can whip up a phone and call her angel colleagues. She chuckles at that. Where did that sense of humor come from?

Oh, _right_.

She stares lovingly in his direction. Ben, still completely unaware of her presence, is busy reading some papers and sipping on his drink. He’s neatly folded in his favorite armchair and if she’s correct (and when it comes to him, she usually is) he’ll fall asleep like that. Good thing she added some booze to his cup, so it’s only a matter of time till soft snores start to fill the room. Then she’ll carry him to his bed, like she’s done many times before.

He’ll wake up in the morning and remember none of it.

A thunder strikes in the distance. Ben looks out the window.

The cold wind ruffles her feathers and she trembles at the thought of what’s to come.

☁️⭐️☁️

They’re in his office. She’s human, dressed like any other working lady. White shirt, pencil skirt and a woolen blazer. Her hair is brushed back and tied into a low bun at the nape of her neck. She’s holding a pencil and a notebook in each hand.

”Mister Solo will now see you.”

She looks around and finds a polite blonde smiling at her from behind her desk. This must be his assistant. Rey nods and tries to figure out what this dream is about. Is this some kind of fantasy…?

”Can you please tell him I’m here?”

”Don’t worry. Mister Solo knows who his guests are.”

Rey wants to roll her eyes at that. Of course. The unnecessary drama. This is him. All him.

The blonde walks over to let her into his office. She knows what to expect. His desk is to her left, surrounded by two cozy couches and four armchairs. She snoozed off in each of them many times before.

The doors open and her breath catches the moment she sees him. He looks up and his eyes widen. Rey is terrified. What on earth was she thinking? Out, she needs out before he can notice her or remember any details.

She grabs the blonde and pushes her into his room instead. She then frantically searches for an exit. Thankfully, one of the large windows is open. Rey runs straight at it and takes the leap.

The world turns white.

Rey gasps, as if something heavy has sat down on her chest. She blinks a few times. Once her surroundings come to focus, she wants to jump out the window again.

”Who are you”

She’s laying on the kitchen floor, her wings gone. Her body’s covered with his bathrobe, the smell of his cologne sharp in her nostrils.

”No one” she blurts out, her human voice still hoarse from being out of use for so long.

He rolls his eyes and sets the cup down. He must’ve finished his glass of water already. After a while, he tries again, his words laced with annoyance. ”What’s your name?”

”…Rey”

What she really meant to say was _May_ , but the lie got stuck in her throat. Still, she wishes she tried something else. Was _May_ even passable as something normal?

”That’s not a human name,” he points out and she wishes she wasn’t naked and still splayed out on the floor, because then she perhaps could’ve hit him with something.

”It isn’t,” she agrees, because again, she can’t lie. That throws him off and he needs a moment before he asks her again.

”Where are you from?”

”Nowhere.” Again. Not a lie.

”Come on,” he groans and she decides it’s best to try and finally stand up. ”Are you one of those reporters from the magazine? The one who called me? What was the name…"

Rey eyes the kitchen counter. There are some magazines splayed out on top. She shyly suggests ”Forbes..?”

Ben seems to appreciate her effort at first. But then it proves useless. ”No, not Forbes... Wait, you work for them?!”

”No.”

He shakes his head in defiance. ”Then what do you want?”

Rey doesn’t think for too long before giving him an honest answer.

”Nothing.”

”…did you come here to steal something? Cause if you did then sorry but all of my cash is in the bank and they won’t make a withdraw through a phone call.”

He doesn’t wait for her response before he starts making his espresso. If she wasn’t so out of it and completely confused she probably would start to feel upset.

”But… I don’t want your money!”

”Well then shit,” he licks the spoon and throws it into the sink. ”I don’t know anymore. Coffee?”

"No, thank you."

Ben chuckles humorlessly, “What a polite burglar.”

Rey curls her hands into fists and tries to think of something smart to say. This isn’t how their first meeting was supposed to go. What an awful first impression. She needs to recover from it, quickly.

“I’m not here to steal anything” she quips in a firm voice. He eyes her from behind his cup. “Nor am I going to hurt you, ever. You have my word.”

“Thank god. That just made me feel a whole lotta better.” He winks and walks out of kitchen, leaving her alone. Rey ties a knot on her robe and follows him.

“Where are you going?”

“To call the police.”

She almost yelps. No, she can’t possibly get him in any more trouble. _Quick, Rey! Think!_

_No. Don’t call the police._

He stopped right in front of his desk. He set his drink down and stayed like that for a while. She could basically hear the gears shifting under his skull.

“Did you… Did you just do that?”

“Do what?” she means to sound innocent but fails.

“In my mind. I felt you, like... you were inside me…” he looks at her and she’s already blushing. “God, n-not like that!”

Rey quickly nodded, her cheeks burning, “I know.”

Her thoughts were racing and he must’ve sensed that too, because suddenly his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped.

“Are you...” he didn’t even finish his sentence. He didn’t have to.

“Don’t be afraid,” she murmured and took a step forward. She tried to reach him. “I feel it, too.”

He must’ve not been paying attention to what she was saying, because he only took half a turn before he dropped on the expensive carpet. Rey winced. Just the other day he almost choked the guy who stepped on it with his shoes. And now Ben Solo himself, this hunk of a man, was completely out, drooling all over it.

☁️⭐️☁️

**Author's Note:**

> yeah, so that was meant to be a one shot. clearly I have no self control. 
> 
> please come over, my twitter is @lovebarmaid - bully me into writing next chapter


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